Tank
The Tank is a Zoid, one of over 200 species of biomechanical lifeforms depicted by TOMY's Zoids model kit, anime, and comic-based Zoids franchise. Overview The Tank is a winged Zoid, unique in the fact that it is the only four-wheeled Zoid in the entire franchise. It is used for reconnaissance and hit-and-run attacks. The Tank is one of only two Power Zoids ever released; the other is its adversary, the Serpent. Battle Story Appearances The Tank was neither shown nor mentioned in the Battle Story. Media Appearances UK Zoids Comic The Tank was seen solely in the UK Zoids comic, and was one of the many Blue Zoids aligned under Zoidzilla's leadership. The Tanks mostly held an insignificant role in the plot, being shown in minor background scenes attacking (and, in many instances, being destroyed by) their Red Mutant enemies. Notably, one Tank was seen as the very first Zoid that Zaton and Zunder tried to persuade into joining Krark and his united Zoid army. Finding the Tank defeated and incapacitated, the Red Mutant duo decided to help the Zoid back onto its wheels. Afterwards, they instructed it to spread word of Krark's (supposed) message of peace amongst the warring factions. However, upon racing away, the Tank both began to transmit a warning to Zoidzilla about the two enemies and started to circle back around to attack them. However, the Tank was destroyed after a timely intervention by Krark himself, who later warned Zaton and Zunder not to let their guard down around any Zoid, whether Red Mutant or Blue. This was the only instance of a Tank being depicted outside of its usual appearance as cannon fodder. Also, the Tank was seen as being quite small in comparison to Zaton and Zunder, while their model kits share a similar size in reality. Models Power Zoids (1983) The Tank was released as part of the Power Zoids line. Introduced in Europe and the United States, production continued until about 1985. The Tank is molded in light grey and blue, with a light brown canopy and a small chromed pilot. There is an interesting color variation between the European and US Tank models: The wheel hubs are black in the European release, but brown in the American release. The Tank had different box art for Europe and America; both depicted the model with brown wheel hubs. There were no other differences with the Tank model, and the decal sheet remained the same regardless of the region. However, the packaging is known to be inconsistent in quality and layout. The Zoid (along with its counterpart, the Serpent) was a trailblazer for the model line as it was the first kit to run on a source other than a wind-up motor; the Tank uses one AA battery for motion; there is a rudimentary switch on the Zoid which, when activated, drives the Zoid along at a reasonable pace. The wheels are actually equipped with metal springs for suspension, a feature that is not included on any other wheeled Zoid. The decals included with both versions of the Tank were purely neutral and did not feature any specific faction markings. The Tank would not see release in Japan (and neither would the Serpent model, for that matter). Category:OER Category:OAR Category:Zoids Category:Power Zoids